Relaxation
by eliana-moran
Summary: Ginny Weasley is the successful editor of the Daily Prophet. When she decides that it is time to get away from all the stress and actually relax she finds her peace disturbed by none other than the infamous Draco Malfoy. PURE FLUFF!
1. Leaving Home

"Good, you're all packed. Let's get going!" Jason Long picked up the bags without waiting for a reply.

"I'm still not sure this is such a good idea. I mean, this is a very busy time, and Ron is..." Ginevra Weasley stood in the center of her apartment, not moving.

Jason sighed and turned around, interrupting her. "It's always a busy time, and your family can survive two weeks without you. Now let's go!" He walked out the door and waited for her in the hallway.

She followed reluctantly and locked the door behind them. "It's just that there's the complete overhaul of the advertisement division, and the new interns still have no idea what they're doing, not to mention the upcoming Quidditch season..."

He interrupted her again. "Two issues have been released since the ad overhaul and they both went smoothly. You rarely get involved directly with the interns. As for the Quidditch season, you'll be back before the draft is over. Honestly, keep on like this and you're likely to insult me." He stepped onto the lift that had finally arrived.

"Insult you?" she looked at him confused and worried.

"Last month you told me that I was quickly becoming indispensable and that before long I'd be better than you. I know that last is a lie, no one will _ever_ be as good as you, but I _can_ cover for you for TWO WEEKS! Keep acting paranoid and I'll start believing your praise was all a lie." He looked her in the eye like one would look at an unruly child.

"You know it wasn't, and I trust you, and you _are_ capable, it's just that..." she leaned up against the wall.

"No, it's just nothing. You're tired and you need a break."

"Careful, now _I'm_ the one liable to get offended," she almost laughed. This was good, she was relaxing.

"Offended? How?" He motioned for her to exit the lift first.

"I _need_ a break? Are you implying that I'm losing it?" She looked at him while she waited for an answer and they waited for their cab.

"No, but you will if you don't _rest!_" He opened the door to the cab after it pulled to a stop before them. "Look, you do an excellent job with the _Prophet_, but no one will deny that's it a stressful one. When you add your family to that... Don't get me wrong," he hastily added when she gave him a dark look, "they are great people, but they do rely on you an aweful lot. I'm just saying that you haven't taken time for yourself in four years and you're way overdue."

She settled back in her seat. "Maybe you're right."

He desperately wanted to say 'I know I am,' but decided against it.

They arrived at the transportation center and he helped her carry her bags in and find the right line to stand in. Before long she was next for apparation and they began saying their good-byes.

"You're sure you remember how to handle..." she began.

"If you're going to run through your parting instructions again, I'm just going to walk away. I've heard them at least ten times already."

She sighed. "Right, well, you know how to reach me if you need anything." He nodded. "Just, take care of my paper, will ya?"

"Ms. Weasley," the attendant called.

"Sure, now get going." He hugged her goodbye and she approached the apparation point. After listening to her instruction, Ginny Weasley disappeared. Jason released a huge sigh of relief and headed off to work.

When Ginny got to the resort, someone was there ready to take her bags and help her through the check in process.

It took them a moment to get someone at the front desk. She had been off to the side watching a rather large commotion that was being caused near the elevators. When she finally took notice of them, she apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry. I had just finished checking in a rather important client and was making sure he got in the elevator all right. He's rather famous, you know, and I was afraid they would get in his way."

Ginny smiled tightly. She knew that was a lie. She knew the clerk had just been watching whoever it was like all the others, but she let it go.

After she was checked in, she was led up to her room and she tipped the attendant that had escorted her. When the door was shut behind him, she let out a sigh of relief. She was just glad to be in the peace and quiet of her own room.

She looked at the itinerary she had been given and briefly wondered what they would do if she just remained in her room the entire week. She quickly decided that the massages probably would feel wonderful and looked forward to the soaks as well. She wasn't sure about the wraps and treatments, but she figured she might as well give everything a try at least once.


	2. Annoyance

The next day she wrapped herself in the robe they had provided, slipped on the soft slippers that matched the robe and padded down to the elevator. There were a couple of young women waiting for the lift as well and Ginny couldn't help but over-hear their excited whispers.

"Did you hear that? _Draco Malfoy!_ Draco Malfoy is HERE! In this hotel!"

"I _know_! I'm _so_ going to die! I mean, he's just _so_ gorgeous! I hope we get to see him!"

"Oh, I'm sure we will! I mean, he likes to swim right? We'll just hang out by the pool! We're bound to see him! Just think…we could be sleeping directly beneath the most eligible bachelor in the _world_!" They both looked up at the ceiling.

Ginny was grateful when the lift arrived. Great! Just what she needed! The biggest _prat_ in the world was in the same complex! She sighed. Well, it wasn't likely that he would ever be in the same place as her, right? She could always avoid the pool and have meals in her room, that would eliminate the possibility of seeing him in the restaurant. She wasn't really in the mood for eating alone while surrounded by a bunch of strangers anyway. She had hoped to go swimming, and maybe she would! Why should she let _him_ dictate what she did? She shouldn't!

She decided she wasn't much in the mood for a swim after all, maybe tomorrow, she thought.

She sighed as she lowered herself into the steaming water of her mineral soak. Twenty minutes of bliss and then she would get her first massage…she was in heaven. Why had she ever resisted Jason anyway?

She nearly jumped out of the tub when she heard _squealing_ outside her room. She could hear muffled screams of 'THERE HE IS!' and 'HE'S SO HOT!' She tried to sink beneath the water but she could still hear them and she had to come up for breath anyway.

She climbed out of the tub. She would never be able to relax with that racket. Drying off and wrapping back up in the robe, she opened the door and found the attendant that was supposed to take her to the masseuse.

"Is something wrong? Was there something wrong with the bath?" A worried look crossed the young woman's face.

"No, it was fine, I just want the massage now, that's all," Ginny answered wearily.

The attendant look unconvinced but nodded and led the way to a large room divided by white partitions. Taking her to one in the corner, the guide explained that this way friends could remove the partitions and converse during the massages.

Ginny nodded absently and looked forward to just relaxing.

She was just about to loose herself in the gentle but deeply soothing pressure easing the tension out of her back when a conversation drifted through the nearest partition.

"I SWEAR I saw him wink at you!"

A nervous giggle was heard. "You're lying! Why would he wink at me? He must have been winking at that woman behind us, you know, the one with red hair."

"Don't be _ridiculous!_ She wasn't even _looking_ at him! Besides, everyone says he such a flirt!"

"Well, it _would_ be a nice story to tell back home!"

More giggling was heard and Ginny sat up.

"We have private rooms, if you like…" the therapist offered sympathetically.

"No, thank you. I think I'll just go back to my room and read or something." Her tone was sullen. Why couldn't she escape him? She hadn't even seen him and he had interrupted everything so far!

The therapist made a note to put the lady in private rooms from thenceforth.

Ginny stayed in her room the rest of the day. She took a hot bath in her own whirlpool tub. It didn't have the minerals, but there was a nice selection of bath salts provided. She had a nice lunch on her balcony. She took a nap. She read a book she had been meaning to read for ages. She made a great deal of progress in her mission to relax.

That night she decided to go for a walk in the gardens. They were supposed to be beautiful all lit up by the lamps with the stars shining overhead.

She pulled on a comfortable pair of corduroy pants and a nice sweater and made her way out.

She had been walking for about fifteen minutes and sighed happily as she turned another corner. She really liked how isolated the walk was, that is, until she ran into someone. He caught her before she could fall.


	3. Confrontation

She was about to apologize to whomever she had run into when she heard a voice do just that.

She had her eyes closed and couldn't help but feel comfortable in the arms that held her steady. "No, it was my fault, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Well," the voice laughed, "If you were walking around with your eyes shut, I suppose it just might be your fault. Can't say that I'm complaining, though. It isn't everyday that a beautiful woman walks right into your arms.

She blushed and stepped back and all but screamed when she saw who she had walked into. "You!" was all she could say.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm not sure who else I would be."

"You ruined my morning!" she accused.

He cocked his head in confusion. "I'm not really sure how I managed that, I apologize if I inadvertently caused you any discomfort…"

She huffed and shook her head. "No, I suppose it wasn't really your fault. I'm just…"

"You're just what?" he asked with genuine interest.

She studied him a moment. "You really aren't the bloke I went to school with, are you?"

He smiled and looked at his shoes a moment. Looking back up, he shrugged. "I don't know. I seem to recall seeing you around, and I _still_ think you're beautiful." When he saw the look on her face he quickly looked for anything else to say, realizing what he had just voiced. "Other than that, though, I suppose I get your point. Life has a way of changing a 'bloke' you know? I mean, once my father died, well, I didn't have anyone shoving purist dogma down my throat and I realized it was better business to be tolerant, better for your health too," he chuckled.

The look on her face hadn't changed. "What do you mean you _still_ think I'm beautiful?"

He looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Um, how did I ruin your morning?" He tried to change the subject.

"Everywhere I went stupid girls were squealing about you and how _hot_ you are. It made it impossible to relax. What did you mean?" she persisted in her questioning.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm a bit of a phenomenon ever since I became the most eligible bachelor. Sorry about that." He winced when she opened her mouth and held up a hand. "And…well, when we were in school, I guess…no…I…well, I always thought you were the prettiest girl in school and thought it was a shame that you were stuck up in that tower. Not that you were stuck up, I mean…"

She shook her head with a mystified smile, "I know what you meant." She couldn't believe it. The ever confident Malfoy was acting like tongue-tied schoolboy. She had to admit, he was one _sexy_ tongue-tied schoolboy.

"So…I hear you're the editor of the _Prophet_ now," he said a bit awkwardly.

She smiled warmly. "Yes, I have been for almost six years." He raised his eyebrows in respect. She shrugged. "I was the youngest editor they ever had."

"Impressive!" They resumed walking, this time side by side.

"So is the empire you've built out of the ruins of your father's holdings," she said with honest respect. He really was different. He was a gentleman now. His eyes were warm and deep, not cold and masked.

They walked for two hours, talking about life, changes, and everything. He walked her back to her room. "Now, tomorrow you will accept that private room and get that massage. I don't want to be held responsible when you go back and that Jason fellow finds you just as tense as you left." His tone was serious and he tried to look at her sternly, but his eyes were dancing with amusement. "However," he continued, "I would be honoured if you would agree to meet me for lunch tomorrow." The school-boy look was back and she would have sworn he was nervous. He would have declared it adamantly.

She smiled. "I'd like that."

He grinned from ear to ear and she once again marveled at the changes in the man before her from the boy she had known.


	4. Relaxation

The next day she did as she was told and thoroughly enjoyed her massage. She couldn't believe how much better she felt when she came out. When she met him on the veranda for lunch she was smiling like she hadn't smiled in years. They chatted easily, as though they had been friends for years, as though there had never been a terse word between them.

After lunch they went for another walk and then she met him by the pool and they went for a swim. They raced and horsed around, trying to dunk each other. He won, repeatedly, until she pouted and managed to catch him off guard while he tried to figure out how to placate her. He told her she would have made a good Slytherin and splashed him in the face while pretending to be offended. He just laughed and told her she knew it was true. Feigning reluctance, she admitted he was right.

Before dinner she had an appointment for a wrap she was still nervous about, but he made her go to it.

At dinner, he learned that she had actually enjoyed it and she learned that he was spending the time that he wasn't with her in physical therapy for an old Quidditch injury that had been aggravated when he was thrown by a horse the week before. She looked worried for a moment before he assured her that he would be fine. He wasn't in any pain, they just wanted to be sure he _stayed_ that way.

The third day of her vacation, people were talking about her as much as they were Draco. At first she was that mystery redhead. By lunch they had learned that she was the editor of the most prominent paper in the UK. By dinner they had her name and people were commenting on how odd it was to see a Slytherin and Gryffindor together, much less a Malfoy and a Weasley.

She and Draco laughed heartily over it all, a bit amazed themselves.

She couldn't believe it. She had tried to get _out_ of coming on this vacation and now she was one of those women who went away for a week and fell in love. She wasn't in love _yet_, but she knew that the more time she spent with this man the more she wanted him to lean over and kiss her.

How did he always know what to say to make her laugh? How had they covered so many topics in such a short time? She had opened up and told him all about how her family relied on her for almost everything since her mother's death and he had been sincerely sympathetic. She had confided in him how stressful running the paper was and he commiserated, sharing how stressful _his_ job was.

He had opened up to her and told her how lonely his life was and she was genuinely sorry for him. He had confided in her how desperately he wished he could just walk away from everything and start over, someone completely knew, in some _place_ completely different. She admitted that she felt the same often.

They met for lunch everyday and spent the afternoon and evening together as well. Ginny hadn't felt this relaxed and _free_ since she had been a little girl. She was happier than she had _ever_ been. She was actually giddy, acting the perfect schoolgirl to Draco's schoolboy that she found so adorable.

Draco, who had never been what one could call _happy_, precisely, was in heaven. He couldn't believe Ginny would even speak to him, much less show so much interest. He had always known that she wasn't like the others, but he couldn't help but be surprised that she had forgiven him for all the old offenses so easily.

She tried to explain that she couldn't possibly hold the past against him once she had looked in his eyes, that she had _tried_ but found it impossible. He didn't care, it amazed him nonetheless.

By the end of the week, neither of them wanted to go home. They tried not to think about it, but as they took their last walk through their gardens, there was more silence between them then there had been the whole week combined. He walked her back to her room as usual and stood there looking at her, not sure what to say.

"Well," she started, "it's been a wonderful week. Will I see you tomorrow before you leave?"

"We could meet for breakfast…" he offered hopefully.

She smiled her schoolgirl smile. "I'd love that."


	5. Going Home

He started to walk down the hall but suddenly turned back caught her completely off guard with a kiss. She was too shocked to respond at first, but quickly melted into his arms. When he pulled away, he whispered, "Sorry, I…"

She reached up and laid a finger on his mouth. "Don't." He shook his head. She looked him the eye and smiled shyly before backing into her room and closing the door.

The next day at breakfast, they just looked at each other for fifteen minutes, smiling. Neither of them knew why they were so giddy, it was just a kiss. Still, it had been a wonderfully _right_ kiss.

Finally, clearing his throat, he asked, "Can…can I look you up back in town?"

She blushed. She pulled out a pen from her bag and wrote her phone number on her napkin. Sliding it across the table to him, she said, "Call me anytime and leave me a message if I'm not there."

He took the napkin and put it in his wallet. "I will."

A few minutes later they stood in the lobby, in line for the apparation point. When her name was called, she turned to say goodbye but didn't get to say a thing as his lips covered hers again. Half of the lobby erupted into cheers and there were a few curses heard from some of the women. Draco laughed and Ginny blushed as she stumbled backward before turning around and apparating home.

Jason was there to greet her at the apparation point. He took one look at her face and started laughing. "WOW! What happened? Did you fall in love?"

She just blushed and scrambled out of the way of the next traveler. Draco had been apparating to a different point so it wouldn't be him.

Jason's eyes grew wide. "Who?" he demanded, "Anyone I would know?"

She cleared her throat nervously. "Draco Malfoy."

His mouth fell open before he started laughing. "Well! Who would have thought?" He hugged her tightly, picked her feet off the ground, and spun her around. Setting her down again, he looked her in the eye. "I'm happy for you, Gin."

She smiled, "Yeah, me too."


End file.
